Go-ahead for another Tesco
Dec 18 2008 by Richard Fletcher, The Journal
A NEW Tesco will be built in a Northumberland town despite there not being enough shoppers in the area to justify it.
The superstore will be built to the north west of the A698 at Berwick, even though a Government inspector has decided that the supermarket would provide millions of pounds of shopping space that the town cannot sustain. Morrisons will also be allowed to extend its store.
The planning inspector judged Berwick could take on an extra £14m-£17m of shopping in the area. But Tesco have estimated their new store would provide £20m. Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said she accepted the figures, but decided the need for shoppers to have a choice of supermarkets was more important.
Tesco said it was “delighted” and would begin work as soon as possible. But a local campaign group said it was “very disappointed” in the decision.
Alison Cowe, from Berwick Civic Society, spoke of the “beast” of a supermarket coming to Berwick.
She said: “We’re very disappointed. It sets the scene for the development of Ord Road, which has some of the best views in the town.
“And we are very, very disappointed with the way the Secretary of State went about it. She said there is no quantitative need and the local economy cannot stand another supermarket, but she plumped for qualitative need.
“It’s going to be a big Tesco and Morrisons who slug it out for the middle income shopping budget. I think it makes life very unfair for the town centre shops – that’s precisely why there’s a quantitative need test.”
Tesco already had permission for its food store and petrol station, but the decision was challenged by the Co-op, which has a store in the town.
The rival company argued having a Marks & Spencer reduced Berwick’s uncatered-for shopping needs still further, and had not been taken into account in the last hearing. But Ms Blears said this was counteracted by the closure of Kwik Save at Walkergate.
A spokesman for Tesco said: “We’re delighted by the decision and we will look forward to moving it forward as quickly as possible. We believe that it is important customers have a choice where they shop and permission allows us to bring a Tesco to Berwick.”
None of the five decisions put before Ms Blears were changed, including permission for a retail park on North Road, and the refusal of two other shopping complexes.
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